November 20, 2024
Welcome to The Climb, your weekly journey with Lifecycle Sherpa, where we explore Parkinson’s Disease, its symptoms, treatments, tips, techniques, and build a supportive and knowledgeable community.
This week’s trail leads us to… depression.
Question: What is it and why does it happen?
Answer: Interestingly, depression presents differently in PD compared to the general population. We see less expressions sadness or tearfulness, and more anhedonia (inability to experience joy or excitement, also known as flat affect), mood swings, anxiety and apathy.
This most likely occurs as a result of complex dysfunction in the brain stem.
Tips to address depression:
- Medication (speak with your doctor for details)
- Speak to a Psychologist or Neuropsychologist
- Exercise! Get moving!
We always encourage feedback, as it helps us enhance our community. Feel free to reach out regarding future topics you want to learn about, or how we can improve your experience.
See you next week!